The present invention relates to a toy assembly and more particularly to a push-pull type toy assembly including a pair of spaced rotating vane members which are driven in differing rotational relationship to create a visibly distinctive moving pattern.
Push-pull type toy assemblies which incorporate rotating members to create decorative patterns have long been known in the toy arts to provide attractive and educational arrangements appealing to the visual and manual interests of children of all ages.
The present invention provides such a novel toy assembly which can be readily and economically manufactured and assembled with a minimum of parts and effort into an attractive toy arrangement that is light in weight, hand manipulatable by a small child with a minimum of effort and skill, eliminating batteries or other sources of more complex and expensive energy production, and yet, at the same time, providing visual attractiveness and permitting the use and exercise of basic, manipulative skills of even very young children.
More particularly, the present invention provides a push-pull toy comprising a housing member, a support means fixed to and extending from the housing member; a pair of spaced vane members rotatably mounted on the support means, at least a portion of the vane members being disposed relative to the housing so as to be visible therefrom; wheel means rotatably supported to the housing; a propelling member for the housing; and a gear means connecting the wheel means to the vane members to cause the vane members to rotate in differing rotational relationship when the housing is placed into motion by the propelling member whereby the visible portion of the differing rotating vane members creates a visibly decorative pattern.
In addition, the present invention provides a novel, straight-forward, simple and yet efficient manner for connecting and disconnecting a propelling member to a toy assembly.
It is to be understood that various changes can be made in the arrangement, construction and form of the several parts of the apparatus disclosed herein without departing from the scope or spirit of the present invention. For example, the embodiment presented is in the form of a popular line type lawn trimmer but the rotational aspects of the vane members in the novel assembly could be adapted for use in such toy assemblies as helicopters, merry-go-rounds, sparklers, multi-legged insects or even toy game devices, with information printed on one wheel matching in random fashion with information on the other when rotation ceases.